Pentecost / Shavu'ot - NCCG.ORG Ning Network Archive 2008-10

Our forefathers were commanded by Yahweh to observe several feasts during the year. They celebrated the Feast of the Passover to remember the time in Egypt they had been "passed over" when the firstborn of the Egyptians had died in the plagues.

Fifty days after Passover, they celebrated the Feast of Pentecost (PEN te cost). It was also called the Feast of Weeks and lasted one day. It came at the end of the wheat harvest.

The events in this story took place on the Pentecost following the death and resurrection of Yah'shua. Many devout Jews were in the city of Jerusalem to celebrate the feast. They had come from many districts and spoke many languages.

After the death of Judas, Matthias (muh THI us) had been chosen to be an apostle, and he was added to the eleven apostles. Suddenly a loud sound filled the house where they were meeting. It sounded like a great wind blowing.

Then something that looked like tongues of fire appeared, then separated and sat on each of them.

They began speaking in other languages. The Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit) was causing them to talk to the others in languages which they had never learned! Can you imagine being able to carry on a conversation with a foreigner in his own native tongue, even though you had never spoken that language?

The wind sound was so loud that people ran to see what was happening, and when they heard the men speaking in their own languages, they were amazed. "Aren't these men all Galileans (gal uh LEE unz), or men from Galilee? How is it that each of us hears in our own native language?"

Some thought the men were drunk, but that was unlikely because it was only 9:00 in the morning. Most people who get drunk, don't get drunk that early in the day.

Peter stood up with the eleven apostles and began to preach to the crowd. He said that the prophet Joel had spoken of these events many years before.

He told them how that Yah'shua of Nazareth had come, and how that Yahweh had shown his approval of Yah'shua by the signs and miracles that he had performed while He was on earth.

Peter accused the crowd of handing Yah'shua over to wicked men to be crucified. We remember that Pilate wanted to free Yah'shua, but the Jews had cried out, "Crucify him!". The Romans nailed him to the cross and killed him, but Yahweh raised him from the dead, and he was seen alive by many people.

When the people in the crowd realized what they had done, they were so sorry, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"

Peter told them to repent; to be truly sorry for what they had done, and for every one of them to be baptized in the name of Yah'shua so that their sins might be forgiven. He said if they would do that, they would receive Yahweh's gift to them, the Ruach haQodesh, to live within them.

Those who heard his words and accepted them, were baptized, and about 3,000 people did just that.

What does this story
mean to me?

In this story we see Peter as he overcame his past failures. You will remember that at one time he even denied Yah'shua, saying he didn't even know Him. But on this Pentecost day Peter becomes a powerful speaker for Yahweh.

You may have made some mistakes in the past, but don't talk to yourself about those failures saying, "I'm no good", or "I can't do that". Leave those things behind and start telling yourself, "Yes, I can do this!".Phillippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Ask Yahweh to help you overcome your past mistakes. Peter did and he became a powerful Christian.

Memory Verse

Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:38 (NIV)

REVIEW

1.During which Festival did the story take place?
2. What sound was heard?

3. What did the fire look like?

4.What was amazing about the preaching?

5.Which prophet had written about this event?

6. How had Yahweh shown his approval of Yah'shua?

7. What question did the crowd ask?

8. What was the answer?

9. How many people accepted the answer?

You can read about the Parable of the Ten Virgins in the Bible in
Acts 2:1-41

http://gardenofpraise.com/bibl54s.htm

Purchase the WHOLE Website by clicking here